Best e-mtb for a full-figured man?

[trifecta]

Howdy. Recently I've become intrigued by the concept of an e-mtb and think it would be a great way to enjoy getting back into some sort of shape.

(I tried searching for this type of topic and found the clydesdale one but it didn't really seem to address my questions - feel free to link any other threads that I could read.)

A little background may or may not be helpful.....

I'm currently a hefty fella. Over three spins on the dial last time I checked. And oldish. Mid 50s.

I used to ride a lot. Long distance touring for a while including Seattle, WA down to San Diego, CA and Portland, OR to NYC. Based out of the Portland area. But that was years ago. Gave up riding for probably 15 years or so.

I then decided I wanted to ride again but no longer wanted to risk getting hit by cars so I started mountain biking. Loved it! Rode 2 or 3 days a week for about 5 years. Gave that up when my leeches...I mean kids became my burden. Now they're older and less pains in the rear so I've started to think about riding again. Somehow I don't think my old Fuel 100 hanging in my garage will enable me to have enough fun to actually enjoy it.

Only issue is that I'm in terrible shape. I've ridden ebikes before and really enjoyed it but want to do mainly trail riding instead of bike lane riding (same issue of avoidance of cars.) I've started checking out emtbs and really like the idea. Only issue is that I see many of them have weight limits and I haven't found a full suspension emtb that can hold me.

About my riding style and desires - I ride with a reasonably high cadence (60-80 rpms) so not a ton of torque. I have no desire to visit the downhill parks (I mean they look like an absolute blast but I fear my window has closed on that type of riding) and will ride mainly single track without a lot of drops. And given my high degree of desire for self-preservation, not terribly aggressively.

So the question is are there any fs emtbs out there that will handle someone like me? How important is the capacity rating for these bikes? Anything else I should be aware of?

My budget is around $5k but would prefer lower but also could stretch some for the perfect bike.

If you've read all this, I thank you and look forward to any feedback.

 

[Jag009]

I am no expert and would not want to recommend any bike ,just because whats good for one is bad for another
what i would say is find yourself a good bike shop that will spend time with you ,to get you the bike that suits you
good luck on your search

 

[Tony4wd]

If you're only a little over the limit on a metal frame and riding conservatively you should be fine, then after a few months you'll be under the weight limit

 

[MountainBoy]

If you're only a little over the limit on a metal frame and riding conservatively you should be fine, then after a few months you'll be under the weight limit

I would agree with this but quality carbon fiber frames shouldn't have a problem either. I would be more concerned with the wheels than the frame.

 

[Hagbard]

Buy something cheap*, metal and secondhand. That way you'll still have budget for any parts that might break. Ride it a bunch, lose some weight, sell it for close to what you paid for it, and invest in something more expensive once you've 1) proved that you're going to get some use out of it and 2) gained some more familiarity with what you need.

*Cheap being a relative concept here! You should be able to get something pretty decent for less than 3k though.

 

[trifecta]

Thanks for the replies. Used may be a good way to go.

I appreciate you all taking the time.

 

[Secret Agent]

Thanks for the replies. Used may be a good way to go.

I appreciate you all taking the time.

I think what you are doing is great. I hope you follow through with it. It might just be a game changer. I'm 58 and I adapted very well to E mountain biking. It's so important to stay active as we get older. I suggest reaching out to FLY RIDES. I have purchased 3 emtb from them and they are extremely customer oriented. I think they could easily guide you towards the best bike for your situation. flyridesusa.com Keep us posted..

 

[Jhagst]

I’m larger guy too, I’d get something with a Bosch motor. They seem to work better for heavier riders. Having had a Trek Rail with a Bosch motor and now a Norco Range Vlt with a Shimano EP8, the Bosch motor bike performed noticeably better for me, especially on climbs. Get the biggest battery you can, working those little motors to tote our portly butts up the hills sucks more juice than the lighter weight riders.

 

[jonmat]

I wouldn't get too hung up about your weight and what the manufacturer recommends. Just enjoy it as it can completely change your lifestyle. I was 117kg when I started and 4 years later I'm 98kg. I'm 61 and never felt better, I would go full suspension as you need the extra comfort when you start off. Good luck.

 

[Cris]

I’m on the large side, I got a Specialized Kenevo as they are rated to a 136kg (300lb) payload. I was over that when I first bought it, lost a bit now , but two years of abuse and it’s taken it all.
Also be aware a lot of manufacturers quote “system weight limit” this includes the weight of the bike itself, so suddenly a 130kg quoted limit is only 100kg for rider and gear once you’ve subtracted the bike.

 

[emtbPhil]

I think most bikes can take it... tbh. There's a lot of safety in the weight limits for warranty claims

I'm about `00kg, but with the bike weight included and my bag I'm probably right on the limit of my carbon Cube. It's seen some big drops and a lot of jumps and never had an issue. A friend of mine is another 40kg heavier than me and rides a metal frame emtb waaaaaay over the weight limit and again not had any issues

Bigger problems seem to be suspension as when I first started riding I was up near the air pressure limit on my forks... and I looked into getting a coil spring for the rear but would have been on the biggest spring.

 

[jeanmarc]

I would look at Giant full sus (Trance or Reign) as I think they're one of the brands that allow most total weight. They're well built and well priced.
Congratulations and good luck!
You won't regret this e-mtb move

 

[bazxa]

I started at 108kg now 96kg and just starting again after a back injury and it's a joy to be out. Start easy but start. The bike will have a weight safety factor, just take it easy and burn the excess. good luck.

 

[Kevlasultanpus]

Howdy. Recently I've become intrigued by the concept of an e-mtb and think it would be a great way to enjoy getting back into some sort of shape.

(I tried searching for this type of topic and found the clydesdale one but it didn't really seem to address my questions - feel free to link any other threads that I could read.)

A little background may or may not be helpful.....

I'm currently a hefty fella. Over three spins on the dial last time I checked. And oldish. Mid 50s.

I used to ride a lot. Long distance touring for a while including Seattle, WA down to San Diego, CA and Portland, OR to NYC. Based out of the Portland area. But that was years ago. Gave up riding for probably 15 years or so.

I then decided I wanted to ride again but no longer wanted to risk getting hit by cars so I started mountain biking. Loved it! Rode 2 or 3 days a week for about 5 years. Gave that up when my leeches...I mean kids became my burden. Now they're older and less pains in the rear so I've started to think about riding again. Somehow I don't think my old Fuel 100 hanging in my garage will enable me to have enough fun to actually enjoy it.

Only issue is that I'm in terrible shape. I've ridden ebikes before and really enjoyed it but want to do mainly trail riding instead of bike lane riding (same issue of avoidance of cars.) I've started checking out emtbs and really like the idea. Only issue is that I see many of them have weight limits and I haven't found a full suspension emtb that can hold me.

About my riding style and desires - I ride with a reasonably high cadence (60-80 rpms) so not a ton of torque. I have no desire to visit the downhill parks (I mean they look like an absolute blast but I fear my window has closed on that type of riding) and will ride mainly single track without a lot of drops. And given my high degree of desire for self-preservation, not terribly aggressively.

So the question is are there any fs emtbs out there that will handle someone like me? How important is the capacity rating for these bikes? Anything else I should be aware of?

My budget is around $5k but would prefer lower but also could stretch some for the perfect bike.

If you've read all this, I thank you and look forward to any feedback.

I'd go full power to start ... maybe trek rail / focusjam2 / levo

 

[LeftItLancs]

Hello,

I got into eMTBs for similar reasons to you. Although I ride a Bosch Reaction hard tail and not a full suspension, I do recommend the Bosch CX Generation 4 (85Nm) motor in whatever full suspension you do choose. When I started I was seriously unfit, and I weighed 145k ish (bike limit 140k) and it more than carried my weight, even up steep hills I wouldn't have been able to walk up, in my area of Lancashire. The eMTB mode is brilliant, and the motor is as good two years later, no issues whatsoever. Bosch full suspension range with the CX motor are around your price range, no nonsense workhorses and worth considering.

Good luck.

 

[George_KSL]

I have a family member who hovers frequently above 140 KG. I wish they didn't but well..
Nonetheless, they never had any issue with Turbo Levo's Brose motor surprisingly, and it's years.

It's the wheels that suffer the most and are frequently reason for weight limit being quite low. It's very visible just watching them sit on the bike what the wheel & tyre is doing under that kind of weight.

I've upgraded the wheelset to strongest DT-set, Gravity-Casing Tyres and Cushcore+ Inserts. Much better, esp. in corners. I no longer worry about the whole thing collapsing under them.

Haven't see issue with any other part. Even the puny-sized OneUp dropper seems to do just fine.

 

[trifecta]

Circling back. Just took a bit of time to get the wife on board (by deciding to get her a bike as well.)

First of all, thanks for all the info. It does put my mind at ease (and reinforces what I was kind of thinking) that a bike isn't just going to buckle beneath me riding down the street.

I'm looking at pulling the trigger in the next two weeks and due to pricing and discount opportunities I'm hoping to choose between a close out on a Haibike ALLMTN 3 or a Cannondale Moterra Neo 4. They're priced almost exactly the same for me (just over $4k USD) For about $600 more I could get the Cannondale Moterra Neo 3 but only if it makes a huge difference.

Any particular recommendations? They all seem pretty nice and I suspect would work great for me. I'm leaning towards the Haibike but I think mainly because it's not common around here and I kind of like the look of it - so not for any real reason haha.

 

[Ark]

I'd go with the Bosch motor of the Haibike.
Shimano current gen motors arent exactly known for reliability.

With any Ebike though you should keep in mind the gears your using at low speed. people stress the motors in gears they would never be able to start off from on an analogue bike.
YOu'll be a needing a shock pump if you don't have one BTW, your shocks need enough PSI for your weight
I think all rockshox have the same sticker

Max PSI 148 probably covers most peoples weight that would try riding a bike though.
I'm 108kg and my bikes max I think is 130kg,
that 130kg is the weight you see on bikes is the bike+rider btw
so I'm over my bikes max weight by 5kg.
but you need to bare in mind any "All Mountain" or "enduro" bikes are designed for jumps and being ridden really hard anyway, so if your not doing that then I'd imagine you can be quite comfortably over the weight limit and still fine.

a 100kg guy falling 6ft off a jump is stressing the wheels and suspension a lot harder than a 150kg guy just riding normally

 

[RiderOnTheStorm]

@trifecta Check out the new Cannondale Moterra Neo Carbon LT1. Great bike in my opinion which has a max. permissible weight of 150kg (339 lbs). I'm riding an older Moterra and really love it
The Cannondale Moterra Neo Carbon LT1 – In our huge “Best e-mountainbike of 2023 group test”

 

[George_KSL]

I found this video of 160 KG guy jumping to flat on carbon Specialized Enduro (which was "rumoured" to crack often but of course no stats) kind of bring the point home how much these bikes are capable actually.
He DID upgrade the wheels though :- )!

I would just ignore the weight ratings from now, unless we're talking those weird Schmolke/Tune ultra cross-country stuff.

 

[Paulquattro]

Welcome to the forum

 

[trifecta]

just wanted to say thanks for all the advice. Based on your comments and what was available to me, I just ordered a Cannondale Moterra Neo 3. At the end of the day, the Haibike was cheaper but last year's Bosch tech and a stated 120kg all in weight limit. The Neo 4 (which I was leaning towards before your comments) had a shimano motor and lower specs on pretty much everything else.

The Neo 2 Carbon was about $700 more expensive for me but I'm uneducated and thus mentally more comfortable with a metal frame vs carbon. I rode a Trek Fuel 100 (2003 or 4 model) for a number of years and broke two frames due to odd hits - one when I hit a tree from the side so a weird twisting motion and another when the back wheel caught a big rock in a dry creek bed. Regardless I've never broken a metal frame so there we are.

I'm so excited and the two week wait is already painful just 3 days in lol.

 

[RiderOnTheStorm]

Based on your comments and what was available to me, I just ordered a Cannondale Moterra Neo 3

Congrats on your new bike! I think you made a very good choice with the moterra neo 3 and the bosch engine. I'm riding an older moterra neo 2 and really enjoy it.